Which of the following best defines metadata in OpenTelemetry?

Metadata in OpenTelemetry is best defined as key-value pairs added to telemetry data. This is because metadata provides additional context or descriptive information about the telemetry data itself, enhancing the richness of the data being collected. Through these key-value pairs, developers can annotate traces, metrics, and logs with relevant information, such as versions, environment details, or other attributes that aid in understanding the data's meaning and significance.

In telemetry, such context is essential for effective monitoring, troubleshooting, and performance analysis, as it allows teams to correlate data points and gain insights into application behavior. By leveraging these pairings, engineers can better identify performance issues, track dependencies, and understand how various elements in a system interact.

Other choices do not encapsulate the essence of metadata specifically as it relates to OpenTelemetry. For instance, records displaying timestamps mostly pertain to the timing of events rather than the associated contextual information. The component that sends telemetry data describes a part of the architecture rather than the data itself. Lastly, a summary of log events implies a more general overview and does not focus on the attribute-based enrichment that metadata provides.